Nothing Personal
by PinboardButterfly
Summary: Cloud is clearing out his office, just as he promised to the little girl with brown eyes and a big smile. One-shot.


**FINAL FANTASY VII:**

 _Nothing Personal_

The steady ticking of the clock in Cloud's office was not only beginning to get on his nerves, but was the only audible sound as of late in Seventh Heaven. The kids were out with Barret and Tifa. Cid was off god-knows-where in god-knows-what doing whatever it was that Cid did when he wasn't complaining about saving the world. Yuffie was most likely swindling a materia salesman in Costa del Sol, the last place he'd heard she'd been. And when he spoke to Vincent last week, he'd bought a phone. Things were beginning to look up.

As promised, Cloud was rifling through the papers on his desk, trying to make sense of the mess they were in. Shafts of grey afternoon light spilled in through the gaps in the blinds, giving him just enough light to see by. His hands found an old drawing of Marlene's, crumpled and hidden beneath a number of letters from Vincent.

A girl, with long brown hair, and a pink dress drawn in in vibrant, sickly pastels. Around her, fields of flowers bloomed, and a single word blanketed the white sky above her:

 _Home_

He forced his hands not to shake. Smoothing out the paper, Cloud tucked it away in a drawer, hoping that when he had the time later, he'd be able to sit and stew in the silt of his memories, the memories that, despite coming to terms with at last, still stayed in that little box inside his head.

A crash from downstairs followed by extensive cursing and a quick attempt to right the wrong had the blond ex-SOLDIER on his feet in a flash, first blade to hand. Frowning, he listened closer, as clunky footsteps made their way inside Seventh Heaven and an incredibly unsure voice called out: "Uh, Cloud? You there, man? Tifa said I could find you here."

Cloud lent his weapon back against the desk and settled down again, neglecting to respond. He didn't have the patience for this idiot today.

"Hellooo? Anyone home?"

The creaking and thumping signified he was making his way upstairs. _Maybe_ , Cloud thought, clenching his jaw slightly, _if I keep very quiet, and very still, and don't answer – he_ _ **might**_ _just go away_.

Ha, no chance.

"Cloud!" _Dammit_. "There you are!"

The ex-SOLDIER decided it would be best to avoid eye contact, and instead continued sorting the papers on his desk monotonously. "Reno. What are you doing here?"

Reno leant against the doorway, grinning, despite his earlier clumsiness. "Tifa told me where you were."

"That's not what I asked."

The redhead seemed unfazed. "Yeah, yeah. I, uh, actually came here on…unofficial business."

"Oh yeah?" Cloud raised an eyebrow. "And what does that consist of? No kidnappings today?"

"Ha-ha," Reno growled, then seemed to regret his sudden defensiveness and turned, what seemed to Cloud, genuinely apologetic. "Um, no, actually. Tifa called in with Barret and those two orphans at HQ."

 _What? Why?_ Cloud, although intrigued, didn't flinch. "What did she want?" _That I couldn't help with?_

"Per'snal favour."

Cloud grit his teeth. "Spit it out, Reno, I haven't got all day."

The Turk seemed embarrassed. "Well, she _sent_ me, actually. She wanted me…to help you. With…whatever it is you're doing."

 _Interesting_. "Not interested."

"Aw, c'mon, man!" Reno moved into the room a little, pouting. "You know I can't go back to her empty-handed! She'll kick-"

He cut himself short and coughed. "Ahem. She won't be happy. You know how it is."

 _Yeah, I do._ "Fine." _Would she really be mad?_ "But don't talk. Take these papers out back to the dump for me."

Whatever Reno was going to complain about he held his tongue, at Cloud's request. Actually, the Turk wasn't half bad. Studiously, he spent the day helping clean out Cloud's office, and in veritable silence no less. By the time night was falling outside, the desk was clear of files, the room was swept and rearranged, the photographs on his desk were dusted and all of his important papers were not only categorised but sorted away into drawers and shelves. It had been a productive day, that, annoyingly, Cloud had to admit he could not have accomplished without the Turk.

"Well, looks like I'm done here," Reno said, rolling his shoulders and stretching as he glanced about Cloud's office. "Duty fulfilled. See ya."

"Wait."

Reno paused, hand on the doorframe, and looked back at Cloud over his shoulder. "Huh?"

The ex-SOLDIER shifted slightly. "Tifa didn't lock up the bar when she left."

Reno grinned wickedly.

0O0

The glasses behind the bar tinkled together as Cloud rummaged through them, looking for a specific two. Reno drummed his fingers on the bar, lovingly polished by Tifa this morning before she left. It was getting dark outside. He was beginning to feel her absense. _I hope she's alright_.

He clasped the right glasses at last and filled them with booze from behind the counter. Reno's gaze moved from the surrounding room to the full glasses on the bar and grinned.

"Talk about reward," the redhead said, taking a gulp. "So what's all this about? Usually you're ready to scrap the second you see me."

Cloud ducked his gaze, muttering something about a new leaf. _I don't need to explain myself to you, of all people._

There was a comfortable silence, in which secrets shifted and whispered sweet nothings from the lengthening shadows of the room. Cloud studied Reno's face, the thin brows, pale skin, red tattoos bringing attention to his silvery eyes. His mop of hair made Cloud think of Denzel, stumbling down he stairs in the morning with a spiky bed head. He couldn't catch the smile.

"Look, man," Reno started, breaking the still, breaking the smile. "I know you don't like me much, an' that's okay – I've done some stuff. But I think Tifa's worried about you. Nearly broke my nose to get me to come here."

"I'm fine." Cloud's words had no feeling, something Reno noticed.

He raised his eyebrows and took a drink. "Yeah, I get it. You're okay."

A pause, in which they could hear the low rumble of a truck as it went by.

Then, Reno: "You wanna talk about it?"

Cloud choked on a laugh. "No." _Not with_ _ **you**_.

The redhead sighed. "You know, we had a new recruit, not long before the Stigma. Good kid. Young. An' he was so eager, ya know? Really looked up to Rude, too. But just before the Stigma broke out we had this job, see, on orders from Tseng. Elena, Rude, the kid an' me went out to North Corel and he …"

Reno looked down at his fingers, laying flat on the surface of the bar.

"We ran into some trouble. Nothin' we couldn't handle, mind you, but our rookie wanted to prove himself, ya know. An' he rushed ahead. An' he died."

Reno's bluntness shocked Cloud, enough to catch him off-guard.

"Rude took it real personal, since the kid looked up to him an' all. But the reality is, if he'd a just waited for us, he wouldn't have got himself killed. And it's somethin' Rude and me think about a lot these days."

Cloud frowned. "I don't know why you're telling me this."

The Turk didn't look up. "Tifa knows you're better. She told me. Told me to try and get through to you. She doesn't want you to force it. Don't rush head, don't try to prove you're 'fine'. We fucked you up, man. So I guess I'm here to atone. And maybe…to help you along the road a bit, too."

Cloud's grip tightened around the edges of the bar. _Forgiveness?_ It made sense. No wonder they'd been away for so long. And if there was anyone who knew best about forgiveness, it was Cloud. The anger faded away. Reno may not have been his favourite person, but Cloud could appreciate the feeling behind his words. He was trying, at least.

The ex-SOLDIER exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. "Sometimes, when Denzel sleeps late, Tifa makes him breakfast. Marlene pulls a table together; a cloth, knives, forks, gets me to drive her to the church for a flower to put in a vase in the centre. And she's always telling me: "Come on, Cloud! You have to smile! Denzel will want to see you smile." So when he comes blundering down the stairs, we're all there. Like…a real family."

Reno looked up at last. He was smiling.

"Didn't know you were so sentimental."

Cloud returned the smile. "Ditto."

The two talked long into the evening, until the sky outside had turned black beyond the fumes of industry. But the time Reno was leaving, they had drunk far too much to than was good for them.

At least, Reno had.

Cloud sighed. _There's no way he's going to make it back home like that. Wherever 'home' is._

Reno moaned from a crumpled heap outside Seventh Heaven. "I don't feel so good."

The blond rolled his eyes. "Come on. Gotta get you somewhere better than the floor."

"Ma housss is in Sec - *hic!*- tor…Sector….uh. I can ssshow you where **."**

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "I don't think so, buddy. I'm not driving with a drunk navigating. We've got a spare bed inside."

Cloud slung his arm under Reno's, propping up the redhead enough to help him back indoors and up the stairs. It was no problem for Cloud to carry him, but the Turk insisted, drunkenly, he could make it walking.

A moment of clarity, as Reno hit the blankets.

"You know this doesn't change anything, right? Unless *hic!* Tseng says otherwise, you're all still a menace to the *hic!* comp'ny."

Cloud nodded. "I know, I know - although, I'm not sure _you_ will in the morning."

There was a loud, unattractive snore. A ghost of a smile graced the ex-SOLDIER's face. Turning to leave, he closed the door and turned off the light.

Tifa and Barret arrived home shortly after the Turk had crashed in the room upstairs. Cloud was tidying up the bar when they entered, Barret carrying both Denzel and Marlene slung over one arm. They were both sound asleep.

"I'll go put them ta bed," Barret said, winking. "Back in a sec."

He exited, leaving Tifa and Cloud at the bar. She settled on to a stool, smiling as she watched him wipe up.

"Nice to see you doing the work for once," she teased. "Any minute now Barret'll come down here and tell me I've got you whipped."

At last, a laugh. "Haven't you had me since the beginning?"

Tifa cocked her head, smiling. "My hero."

Cloud swathed a cloth over the alcohol spilled on the bar. "So what's the deal with sending a Turk after me?"

She rolled her eyes. "He told you, huh? I asked him as a favour. He wasn't supposed to let on it was me who sent him."

"I'm not mad." Cloud met her gaze.

"So where is he?" Tifa glanced around. "Is he gone already?"

"Actually…"

There was a bang and a yell from upstairs, then Barret's voice: "YO! Spiky, what the hell?! Why's a suit in Denzel's room?"

Tifa seemed to shocked for a moment, and then burst out laughing. "What _did_ you two get up to?"

 _I'm sure if I told you it would hurt what's left of Reno's pride_. "That's between me and him."

Tifa slid off of the stool, sighing. "Alright, alright, you can have your secrets. I'll tell Barret that Denzel can sleep in our room tonight, okay?

She leant across the bar and stole a kiss. Cloud returned it, realising how much he had missed her, how relieved he was that she was okay. Tifa pulled away, batting the hand that had moved to her neck and waggling a finger.

"Uh-uh. Save that for later." She winked. "Although…it's good to see you back. I'm heading up. Goodnight."

He watched her go, watched her pause on the stairs, watched her glance back at him over her shoulder. _God, she's beautiful._

"Do…you want to do breakfast again, tomorrow morning? As a treat? Marlene was practically begging."

Cloud smiled. "Sounds perfect."

Tifa smiled back, a genuine one, and continued up the stairs. Cloud returned to making her bar spotless, listening to the murmur of voice from upstairs. Eventually they fell silent and Cloud made his way up, too. He changed into something more comfortable and curled up next to Tifa, arms going around her protectively. Her own were laced about Denzel. She relaxed into his presence, a sleepy smile dawning under half-lidded eyes.

"I never seem to know what you're thinking," she said, yawning.

He smiled. "Maybe that's a good thing."

 _Because I'm totally, completely in love with you._

* * *

 **Epilogue**

When morning broke and breakfast cleared, Marlene ran over to Cloud, note in hand.

"Cloud! I found this in Denzel's room upstairs. It has your name on it."

The blonde yawned and scraped a hand through his hair. _Denzel's room…? Shit – Reno!_

"Thanks, Marlene. Why don't you go see if your Daddy's awake yet?"

She nodded – "Okay!" – and thundered off up the stairs.

Tifa came over, cleaning rag in hand, and rested her chin on Cloud's shoulder, reading the note as he did.

 _Thanks for the drinks, and tell Tifa we're even now. And that I'm sorry about those broken glasses. And the dent in the doorframe._

 _Also - don't tell Rude about this. Please._

 _Reno_

Cloud hid a smile behind another yawn. _He must have left already_. Tifa finished the note and looked at him expectantly.

"I won't press you, but it sounds like you had fun."

"Rest assured," Cloud said, pecking her on the cheek as he turned to go back up the stairs, "it was nothing personal."


End file.
